Updated COVID Guidelines, Imagining 2021, Admin Team Updates 3.31.2021

Dear ICS Community,

Walking through the lobby today at the Upper School, I could hear students playing the piano and dribbling basketballs. Then during X-Block, students gathered in the auditorium (seated 6-feet apart) for an impressive presentation on “Resilience, Grit, and Women who Changed the World,” by renowned author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon. I want to take a moment to appreciate these markers of a “normal”  and vibrant school day.

As health and safety guidance continues to evolve, ICS continues to monitor best practices and will make decisions in partnership with the School’s Medical Advisory. While CDC guidelines now allow for only three feet of distance in schools, ICS remains committed to maintaining six feet of distance between individuals whenever possible.  However, we have made some adjustments to our protocols at school. The most notable (and well-received) at the Lower School was to allow grade level cohorts to play together during outdoor recess.  From what I hear the number of student-invented games that have taken off for what we call “pandemic play” are quite impressive! At the Upper School, hallways can now be walked in both directions – a convenience much-appreciated by our students and teachers.  As always, ICS remains committed to the three w’s (wash hands, wear masks, watch distance), as well as our daily screening and ventilation practices, and we appreciate everyone’s continued adherence to our community pledge.

As we look ahead to next year, many of us are wondering what school will look like.  Will we still be in hybrid mode? Will students still have the option to remain virtual? Will we still need to be 6 feet apart and wear masks? We are not alone in this – schools all over the world are all trying to answer these important questions in ways that work best for their communities.

While we won’t have all of the information that we need to make definitive decisions for a while, the good news is that we know so much more about how to operate a school during a pandemic than we did last August! We have learned a lot over the past year, and at this point we have enough information to reasonably start forecasting, brainstorming, and prototyping for our future.

Indian Creek’s plan is to prepare for next year collaboratively. ICS faculty and staff are coming together for a retreat next Friday, April 9, to discuss and imagine what the upcoming school year could look like. ICS students and parents will be engaged in the process following this session. In the meantime, you are invited to share any thoughts you may have on next year with Associate Head of School Eliza McLaren.

Our goal is to forecast our plans for next year’s mode(s) of instruction by the end of May – even though there will be unknowns that will require our continued resilience and flexibility.

I am pleased to share with you several administrative transitions for the 2021-22 academic school year.

The Office of Admission will be reorganized with new leadership operating within a team construct.  Assistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement John Bonhom will continue to lead the external offices of the school with Christina Mueller, Director of Pre-K – 8 Admissions and Tyler Larkin as Director of Upper School Admission/Director of Outreach and Campus Programs. (As previously announced, current Director of Upper School Admission Carol Mercer will transition to the role of Middle School Assistant Principal next year.) In Tyler’s new role, he will continue to work closely with the athletics program and with Jason Werner, who has accepted the appointment of Interim Director of Athletics for grades 6-12.  Additionally, Robin DePaolis will assist the admissions team in a new role as Upper School Admissions Visit Manager next year, and will also serve as Upper School Student Center Manager. Our Admissions team is in the final stages of hiring an Assistant Director of Pre-K – 12 Admission to support the work of the enrollment team.

These restructured teams will optimize the School’s Admissions and Athletics departments to enhance our Pre-K through twelfth grade campus community.  More information can be found at this link.

Have a great week,

Booth Kyle

Head of School